The latest report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that drug-related deaths in England and Wales have reached a record high, with a devastating 5,565 people in England and Wales dying in 2024.
It is deeply concerning that the ONS acknowledges “undercounts” in its report, with around one in five death registrations failing to specify the drug or drugs involved. Accurate, consistent and transparent recording and reporting are essential for the UK government and support services to identify and deliver the interventions that will save lives and to spare bereaved families the additional trauma of not knowing the true cause of their loved one’s death.
According to the report, deaths attributed to nitazenes have nearly quadrupled since 2023.
We urge the UK Government to expand the harm reduction measures that should be available to people who use drugs and the services that seek to support them – by introducing drug-checking services, expanding naloxone distribution, and rolling out safer drug consumption facilities, while also ensuring that drug treatment services are adequately resourced, evidence-based, and responsive to people’s diverse and changing needs.
The number of deaths attributed to nitazenes should underscore the pressing need for drug checking services that would provide people who use drugs with accurate information about the substances they intend to take, helping to prevent accidental poisonings and deaths linked to an increasingly unpredictable and toxic drug supply.
Today, our thoughts are with the families, friends and communities of all those who lost their lives in 2024. Each of these deaths is a profound tragedy – and a stark reminder that, across the UK, we are not responding to the drug deaths crisis with enough courage or urgency.
Read the full report from the ONS here.
Kirsten Horsburgh, CEO, Scottish Drugs Forum
The ONS is seeking feedback from our users on the terminology its uses in its drug-related death statistics. This includes the use of the term “drug misuse death”. We believe this is stigmatising language, and we will be writing to the ONS to share our feedback. You can contribute by emailing: Health.Data@ons.gov.uk
Read our research on the potential of nitazene testing strips as a harm reduction tool, helping to improve engagement and support informed decision-making.